JP7541797B2 - Vehicle, heat exchange plate, and battery pack - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle, a heat exchange plate, and a battery pack.

Hybrid and electric vehicles are equipped with an on-board battery that supplies power to the motor that drives the vehicle. To prevent the on-board battery from rising in temperature, a hybrid heat exchanger is known that simultaneously supplies both a refrigerant and a cooling liquid (see Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply device for vehicles that includes a battery block formed by connecting multiple battery cells, a cooling plate that is thermally coupled to the battery cells and cools the battery cells with a supplied refrigerant, a cooling mechanism that supplies refrigerant to the cooling plate, and a control circuit that controls the cooling mechanism to control the cooling state of the cooling plate, and discloses that the device efficiently and quickly cools the battery while reducing the temperature difference between the battery cells to prevent adverse effects caused by battery cell imbalances.

JP 2010-50000 A

Patent Document 1 discloses that the battery cells are cooled with water and a refrigerant at the same time, but because no consideration is given to temperature rise in the center, there is an issue that the temperature of the single cells in the center of the battery cell becomes high. In other words, temperature variations in the on-board battery can occur.

The present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle, a heat exchange plate, and a battery pack that suppresses temperature variation in an on-board battery.

The vehicle disclosed herein comprises a heat exchange plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a coolant layer for circulating coolant between the first surface and the second surface, a coolant layer for circulating coolant between the first surface and the second surface, a coolant output section through which the coolant flows out of the coolant layer, and a coolant input section through which the coolant flowing out of the coolant output section flows into the coolant layer via a pump, a battery module group having a plurality of battery modules and arranged along the first surface of the heat exchange plate, a vehicle body accommodating the heat exchange plate and the battery modules, a first wheel and a second wheel coupled to the vehicle body, and an electric motor for driving the first wheel using power supplied from the battery module group, and the vehicle runs in a predetermined direction using the first wheel and the second wheel. A vehicle capable of running on a road, in which the entire coolant layer has a first region in a plan view between the first and second surfaces of the heat exchange plate, the entire refrigerant layer has a second region in a plan view between the first and second surfaces of the heat exchange plate, the entire battery module group has a third region in a plan view on the first surface of the heat exchange plate, the center of the third region of the battery module group is arranged to overlap the first region of the coolant layer, and the center of the third region of the battery module group is arranged to overlap the second region of the refrigerant layer, the temperature of the secondary battery cells near the center of the battery module group is temperature A, the temperature of the secondary battery cells near the periphery of the battery module group is temperature B, and when the difference between temperature A and temperature B exceeds a certain value, the pump is operated.

The heat exchange plate of the present disclosure has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and is provided with a cooling liquid layer for circulating a cooling liquid between the first surface and the second surface, a refrigerant layer for circulating a refrigerant between the first surface and the second surface, a cooling liquid output section through which the cooling liquid flows out of the cooling liquid layer, and a cooling liquid input section through which the cooling liquid flowing out of the cooling liquid output section flows into the cooling liquid layer via a pump, and between the first surface and the second surface, the entire cooling liquid layer has a first region in a plan view, and between the first surface and the second surface, the entire cooling liquid layer has a second region in a plan view, and when a battery module group is arranged along the first surface, the battery modules are arranged in a direction parallel to the first surface. The entire module group has a third region on the first surface in a plan view, the battery module group has a plurality of battery modules, at least a portion of the second region of the refrigerant layer is arranged overlapping the first region of the coolant layer, the center of the third region of the battery module group is arranged overlapping the first region of the coolant layer, the center of the third region of the battery module group is arranged overlapping the second region of the refrigerant layer, the temperature of the secondary battery cells near the center of the battery module group is temperature A, the temperature of the secondary battery cells near the periphery of the battery module group is temperature B, and when the difference between temperature A and temperature B exceeds a certain value, the pump is operated.

The battery pack of the present disclosure is a battery pack including a heat exchange plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a cooling liquid layer for circulating a cooling liquid between the first surface and the second surface, a refrigerant layer for circulating a refrigerant between the first surface and the second surface, a cooling liquid output section through which the cooling liquid flows out of the cooling liquid layer, and a cooling liquid input section through which the cooling liquid flowing out of the cooling liquid output section flows into the cooling liquid layer via a pump, and a battery module group having a plurality of battery modules and arranged along the first surface of the heat exchange plate, wherein the entire cooling liquid layer has a first region in a plan view between the first surface and the second surface of the heat exchange plate, and the first surface and the second surface of the heat exchange plate are arranged along the first surface of the heat exchange plate. Between them, the entire refrigerant layer has a second region in a plan view, and on the first surface of the heat exchange plate, the entire battery module group has a third region in a plan view, at least a portion of the second region of the refrigerant layer is arranged to overlap the first region of the coolant layer, the center of the third region of the battery module group is arranged to overlap the first region of the coolant layer, and the center of the third region of the battery module group is arranged to overlap the second region of the refrigerant layer, the temperature of the secondary battery cells near the center of the battery module group is temperature A, and the temperature of the secondary battery cells near the periphery of the battery module group is temperature B, and when the difference between temperature A and temperature B exceeds a certain value, the pump is operated.

This disclosure makes it possible to suppress temperature variations in vehicle batteries.

A conceptual diagram showing an example of a battery temperature adjustment system 1 according to the present disclosure. 2A and 2B are configuration diagrams of the battery temperature adjustment system 1 based on FIG. 1 , in which (a) is a partially exploded perspective view, (b) a first A-A′ cross-sectional view, (c) a second A-A′ cross-sectional view, and (d) a third A-A′ cross-sectional view. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of different shapes of the cooling unit 50 according to the present disclosure, as viewed from above; 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of a cooling unit 50 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, in plan view; 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of arrangement of secondary battery cells according to the present disclosure, as viewed from above; Schematic diagram showing a heat generation state based on each resistance of a secondary battery cell according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a heat generation state of a secondary battery cell 11 and a thermal management system 20 according to the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of cooling control of a battery temperature adjustment system 1 according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of heating control of a battery temperature adjustment system 1 according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the cooling unit 50 of the present disclosure. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating a state in which a battery temperature adjustment system 1 is mounted on a vehicle 100 according to the present disclosure, in which (a) is a side view of the vehicle 100, and (b) is a rear view of the vehicle 100. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of control of the battery temperature adjustment system 1 using route and destination information of the vehicle 100 in FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a battery pack α installed in a vehicle 100.

Below, an embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") specifically disclosing the vehicle, heat exchange plate, and battery pack according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed description of already well-known matters and duplicate description of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the attached drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

The following describes in detail the present embodiment, which is suitable for implementing the present disclosure, with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a battery temperature adjustment system 1 of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of the battery temperature adjustment system 1 based on Figure 1, including (a) a partially exploded perspective view, (b) a first A-A' cross-sectional view, (c) a second A-A' cross-sectional view, and (d) a third A-A' cross-sectional view. The battery temperature adjustment system 1 of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

The battery temperature control system 1 includes an on-board battery 10 and a thermal management system 20 that places and cools the on-board battery 10. The thermal management system 20 has a heat exchanger 21. The on-board battery 10 includes a plurality of secondary battery cells 11, which are arranged in a straight line on the first surface 22 of the heat exchanger 21. The opposite side of the heat exchanger 21 from the first surface 22 is the second surface 23. The secondary battery cells 11 are, for example, batteries that store electric energy that serves as a driving source for a driving motor in a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, and are components that require temperature control such as cooling. In addition, a combination of multiple secondary battery cells 11 (single cells) is called a battery module. A combination of multiple battery modules is called a battery module group. The on-board battery 10 may correspond to one battery module, or may correspond to a battery module group having multiple battery modules. Here, the on-board battery 10 is described as a battery module group. As shown in the figure, the battery module group is arranged along the first surface 22 of the heat exchanger 21. The battery module group has a third region REG3 on the first surface 22 in a plan view.

The thermal management system 20 is a device for cooling the vehicle-mounted battery 10, and is provided with a heat exchanger 21 disposed adjacent to the vehicle-mounted battery 10. The thermal management system 20 further includes a cooling liquid passage 30 housed in the heat exchanger 21 and through which the cooling liquid flows, and a refrigerant pipe 40 through which the refrigerant flows. The cooling liquid passage 30 may be layered as shown in FIG. 2(b) to FIG. 2(d). That is, the cooling liquid passage 30 is a cooling liquid layer through which the cooling liquid circulates. This cooling liquid layer includes a first region REG1 in plan view between the first surface 22 and the second surface 23 (see FIG. 2(a)). The thermal management system 20 further includes a cooling liquid passage pipe 31 communicating with the cooling liquid passage 30, a pump 32 connected to the cooling liquid passage pipe 31 and circulating the cooling liquid, a heater 33, a compressor 41 circulating the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe 40, a condenser 42, and an expansion valve 43.

The refrigerant pipe 40 communicates with the compressor 41, the condenser 42, and the expansion valve 43. The refrigerant pipe 40 arranged in the cooling liquid passage 30 in FIG. 1 constitutes the cooling section 50. As shown in FIG. 2(b) to FIG. 2(d), the cooling section 50 may be layered, and the refrigerant flows through the cooling section 50. In other words, the cooling section 50 is a refrigerant layer that circulates the refrigerant. This refrigerant layer has a second region REG2 in plan view between the first surface 22 and the second surface 23 (see FIG. 2(a)).

The interrelationships between the first region REG1, the second region REG2, and the third region REG3 described above are as follows.
The second region REG2 of the refrigerant layer is smaller than the first region REG1 of the cooling liquid layer (see FIG. 2A). That is, the region of the refrigerant layer (the second region REG2) is concentrated and arranged so as to be smaller than the first region REG1 of the cooling liquid layer. This allows the piping for the refrigerant to be shortened. The shorter the piping, the less the pressure loss.
At least a part of the second region REG2 of the refrigerant layer is arranged to overlap the first region REG1 of the cooling liquid layer (see FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d)). This allows heat exchange between the cooling liquid and the refrigerant in the portion where the second region REG2 of the refrigerant layer overlaps with the first region REG1 of the cooling liquid layer.
The center O of the third region REG3 of the battery module group is disposed so as to overlap the second region REG2 of the refrigerant layer (see FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d)). As a result, the vicinity of the center O of the third region REG3 in the battery module group is intensively cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant layer. The vicinity of the center O of the third region REG3 is a portion where heat accumulates and the temperature becomes higher. Therefore, by intensively cooling the vicinity of the center O, the temperature variation of the battery module group is reduced.

It is preferable that the third region REG3 of the battery module group is smaller than the first region REG1 of the cooling liquid layer. In this case, the entire battery module group can be cooled by the cooling liquid layer.

Moreover, the relationship between the first region REG1, the second region REG2, and the third region REG3 in the up-down direction is as follows.
At the center O of the third region REG3 of the battery module group (vehicle battery 10), a coolant layer (coolant passage 30) is disposed between the refrigerant layer (cooling section 50) and the battery module group. This arrangement is adopted in all of the states shown in Figures 2(b) to 2(d). The presence of the coolant layer between the refrigerant layer and the battery module group allows the coolant to diffuse unevenness in cooling caused by the refrigerant, thereby enabling the battery module group to be cooled more uniformly.

In FIG. 2(b), the refrigerant layer is embedded inside the cooling liquid layer. In FIG. 2(c), the refrigerant layer is inside and at the bottom of the cooling liquid layer. In FIG. 2(d), the cooling liquid layer is placed on top of the refrigerant layer. Here, the configuration shown in FIG. 2(b) can also be interpreted as a sandwich structure in which the refrigerant layer is sandwiched between two cooling liquid layers. That is, the cooling liquid layer includes a first cooling liquid layer 30a and a second cooling liquid layer 30b at the center O of the third region REG3 of the battery module group, the first cooling liquid layer 30a is disposed between the refrigerant layer and the battery module group at the center O of the third region REG3 of the battery module group, and the refrigerant layer is disposed between the first cooling liquid layer 30a and the second cooling liquid layer 30b at the center O of the third region REG3 of the battery module group. This arrangement allows the refrigerant layer to be surrounded by the first cooling liquid layer 30a and the second cooling liquid layer 30b, allowing smooth heat exchange between the refrigerant layer and the cooling liquid layer.

The cooling section 50 is composed of piping. As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, the cooling section 50 is provided with an inlet pipe 51 and an outlet pipe 52 for the refrigerant, and has a first point 53 on one side and a second point 54 on the other side. In the example of FIG. 1, the refrigerant flows and circulates through the cooling section 50, which is configured in a single stroke from the inlet pipe 51 to the outlet pipe 52, and cools the vehicle-mounted battery 10. The cooling section 50 forms a part that turns back from the first point 53 to the second point 54 toward the first point 53. That is, the refrigerant flows in from the inlet pipe 51, travels back and forth between the vicinity of the first point 53 and the vicinity of the second point 54, and flows out from the outlet pipe 52.

In this embodiment, the cooling section 50 is disposed in a central region S of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 in a planar view, and the central region S is set as a region toward the center having a length of approximately 1/3 of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 in the vertical and horizontal directions in a planar view.

The coolant flowing through the coolant passage 30 is, for example, an antifreeze liquid containing ethylene glycol. The coolant flowing through the coolant pipe 40 may be in a two-phase state in which gas and liquid are mixed, and one example is HFC (hydrofluorocarbon). However, the coolant may be something other than an HFC.

The coolant circulates through the coolant passage 30 by driving the pump 32 shown in FIG. 1. The pump 32 is, for example, a pump for pressurizing the coolant or an electric water pump.

The compressor 41 compresses the vaporized refrigerant and supplies it to the condenser 42, which cools and liquefies the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 41, supplies it to the expansion valve 43, and circulates it through the refrigerant piping 40.

The heat exchanger 21 is, for example, flat and has a plate-like shape with a height shorter than its length in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and is called a heat exchange plate. However, the heat exchanger 21 may be box-shaped, square-shaped, or cylindrical, with the front-to-back direction being shorter than the left-to-right direction. The heat exchanger 21 is provided with an inlet pipe 51 and an outlet pipe 52 that communicate with the cooling section 50, and an inlet pipe 31a and an outlet pipe 31b of the cooling liquid passage pipe 31 that communicates with the cooling liquid passage 30.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of different shapes of the cooling section 50 of the present disclosure, as viewed from above, (a) embodiment 1, and (b) embodiment 2. The piping structure of the cooling section 50 will be described with reference to Figure 3.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3(a), the shape of the folded portion at the first point 53 and the second point 54 is flat. The flow of the refrigerant in each piping section is parallel between the first point 53 and the second point 54. The positions of the inlet pipe 51 and the outlet pipe 52 can be set arbitrarily. This allows the refrigerant pipe 40 to be continuously connected, making it possible to achieve a compact and low-cost piping configuration.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), the refrigerant piping 40 of the cooling section 50 is a single continuous pipe without branching into multiple parts. Note that the piping shape described in the top view may be arranged in multiple vertical directions (plan view) within the cooling liquid passage 30.

Also, as shown in embodiment 2 in FIG. 3(b), the refrigerant pipe 40 may be branched into multiple flow paths along the way. In both cases of FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b), multiple pipes may be connected together to form the pipe shape shown in the figure.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of another embodiment of the cooling section 50 of the present disclosure in a plan view, (a) embodiment 3, and (b) embodiment 4. The piping structure of the cooling section 50 will be described with reference to Figure 4.

In the third and fourth embodiments, the refrigerant pipes 40 are arranged in a spiral shape toward the center of the cooling section 50. The inlet pipes 51 are arranged near the periphery of the cooling section 50, and the outlet pipes 52 are arranged near the center of the cooling section 50. The positions of the inlet pipes 51 and the outlet pipes 52 may be reversed. In this case, the liquid phase refrigerant enters from the inlet pipes 51 arranged near the center of the cooling section 50, and while changing from the liquid phase to the gas phase and cooling the vicinity of the center, the refrigerant flows toward the outlet pipes 52 arranged near the periphery. This allows the vicinity of the center of the cooling section 50 to be efficiently cooled.

Here, compared to embodiment 4 shown in FIG. 4(b), in embodiment 3 shown in FIG. 4(a), the refrigerant pipes 40 are concentrated near the center of the cooling section 50. That is, the surface area in contact with the cooling liquid flowing through the cooling liquid passage 30 is large near the center of the cooling section 50, so the cooling capacity is large. Here, the second region REG2 of the refrigerant layer is further divided into two regions. The first refrigerant layer region REG21 corresponds to the center O of the third region REG3 (see FIG. 2), and the second refrigerant layer region REG22 is located outside the first refrigerant layer region in a plan view. These two refrigerant layer regions REG21 and REG22 are indicated by dashed lines in the figure. At this time, the first cooling capacity of the first refrigerant layer region REG21 is larger than the second cooling capacity of the second refrigerant layer region REG22.

The shape of the cooling section 50 is determined by the temperature rise of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 placed on the thermal management system 20, particularly the temperature rise value of the central region S. If the number and capacity of the secondary battery cells 11 that make up the vehicle-mounted battery 10 are large, the heat exchanger 21, coolant passage 30, and cooling section 50 must be made larger, and it is possible to select an arrangement of the representative shapes shown in embodiments 1 to 4, and multiple arrangements and multi-stage arrangements can also be selected. Note that the arrangement of the piping is not limited to the embodiments.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of each secondary battery cell 11 from a top view, where (a) is Example 1 and (b) is Example 2. The arrangement of multiple secondary battery cells 11 will be described based on Figure 5.

In Example 1, the secondary battery cells 11 are arranged in series on the first surface 22 of the heat exchanger 21, adjacent to each other so that one end is flush with the horizontal direction of the drawing. In Example 2, the arrangement of Example 1 is arranged in two rows in the vertical direction of the drawing. In the drawing, the longitudinal direction of the secondary battery cells 11 is aligned with the vertical direction of the drawing, but they may also be arranged in the horizontal direction of the drawing, and similarly the arrangement is not limited to two rows, but may be three or more rows.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the heat generation state based on the resistance of each secondary battery cell 11 connected in series. In Figure 6, a graph showing the temperature is drawn above the secondary battery cell 11, and the resistance of the secondary battery cell 11 is shown below the secondary battery cell 11.

If the resistance (internal resistance) of each secondary battery cell 11 is R and the charging current flowing through the secondary battery cell 11 is i, then if the resistance R of each secondary battery cell 11 is the same, the heat generation amount P of each secondary battery cell 11 can be expressed as R× ⁱ² , and the heat generation amount P is the same (P=R× ⁱ² ). However, since the secondary battery cells 11 are arranged in almost close contact with the adjacent secondary battery cells 11, the secondary battery cells 11 closer to the center retain more heat than the secondary battery cells 11 arranged on the periphery, resulting in a higher temperature rise.

In the thermal management system 20 of this embodiment, a cooling section 50 consisting of a refrigerant pipe 40 is provided in the cooling liquid passage 30 of the thermal management system 20 or in a position overlapping the cooling liquid passage 30, which corresponds to the center of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 where temperature rise occurs due to charging and discharging. In particular, by providing the cooling section 50 in the central region S, which is set in a region toward the center having a length of approximately 1/3 in the vertical and horizontal directions in a plan view of the vehicle-mounted battery 10, it is possible to reduce the temperature rise toward the center of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 during cooling, or to make the temperature toward the center lower than the periphery. In addition, since heat accumulates near the center of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 and the temperature of the secondary battery cells 11 rises, the vehicle-mounted battery 10 is cooled by the refrigerant in the cooling section 50 in the central region S during cooling, and the vehicle-mounted battery 10 is cooled near the periphery by thermal diffusion due to the circulation of the coolant and natural heat dissipation to the periphery of the vehicle-mounted battery 10, thereby reducing the temperature of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 and reducing the variation.

By concentrating the refrigerant piping 40 in the central region S of the thermal management system 20, the refrigerant piping 40 can be made short, which reduces pressure loss. Furthermore, by forming the refrigerant piping 40 continuously in a single stroke, the entire thermal management system 20 can be cooled, and bias in the flow of the refrigerant can be reduced compared to when the refrigerant is distributed to multiple parts. Furthermore, by circulating the coolant flowing through the coolant passages 30 in the thermal management system 20 with the pump 32 to diffuse cold and hot heat, the temperature variation of the multiple secondary battery cells 11 that make up the on-board battery 10 can be reduced and the maximum temperature can be kept within an acceptable range.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the heat generation state of the secondary battery cell 11 and the thermal management system 20 connected in series. In Figure 7, a graph showing the temperature is drawn above the secondary battery cell 11, and the secondary battery cell 11 and the thermal management system 20 are shown connected by a thermal resistance.

If each secondary battery cell 11 is considered to be connected to the coolant (coolant passage 30) and refrigerant (cooling section 50) through thermal resistance, the secondary battery cell 11 can be considered a heat source caused by charging and discharging. Here, the configuration equivalent to the outside air is referred to as the secondary battery outside 60. The temperature of the secondary battery outside (outside air) 60 changes depending on the surrounding environment, so heat is dissipated (heat is received). If the ambient temperature is lower than that of the vehicle battery 10, heat is dissipated, and the closer the secondary battery cell 11 is to the secondary battery outside 60, the more heat is dissipated and the more cooled it is, and conversely, the secondary battery cells 11 closer to the center are more likely to trap heat.

The existence of the thermal management system 20 using the coolant and refrigerant provides a route for dissipating (receiving) heat from the secondary battery cells 11 to the coolant (coolant passage 30) and the refrigerant (cooling section 50). In particular, the temperature difference between the coolant and the secondary battery cells 11 closer to the center is large, so heat dissipation to the coolant becomes dominant. The amount of heat dissipated (=cooling capacity) to the secondary battery exterior 60 and the cooling section 50 is balanced with the amount of heat generated by each secondary battery cell 11, so that the temperature rise of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 is balanced. Furthermore, the cooling capacity to the cooling section 50 is variable by the compressor 41, etc., and can be increased or decreased as needed. In addition, by circulating the coolant with the pump 32, the cooling effect of the cooling section 50 and the heating effect of the heater 33 are quickly delivered to each secondary battery cell 11, and the thermal resistance of the coolant portion in the cooling passage 30 can be significantly reduced.

The cooling capacity and size of the cooling unit 50 should be determined so that the sum of the energy for cooling and the energy for driving the pump 32 is minimized. To cool with minimal energy, the cooling capacity is determined from an estimate of the amount of heat generated by the charging and discharging of the vehicle battery 10, the amount of cold heat generated by the thermal management system 20, and the amount of heat dissipated to the surrounding environment, the amount of operation required for the thermal management system 20 is determined and operated, and correction is further performed by feedback control using the measured temperature.

To estimate the temperature of the vehicle-mounted battery 10, the heat generation amount P is obtained from the charge/discharge current i and internal resistance R of the secondary battery cell 11, and the temperature of the secondary battery cell 11 can be estimated from the heat capacity and heat transfer model obtained in advance. To estimate the thermal resistance reduction effect of the cooling unit 50 and pump 32, the relationship between the temperature of the coolant in the thermal management system 20, the ambient temperature, the control amount of the compressor 41, and the operating amount of the pump 32 can be used in advance, making it possible to roughly uniformize the temperature of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 and reduce the maximum temperature to an acceptable range.

Furthermore, the amount of heat generated and the required cooling capacity may be estimated and fed-forward controlled using map information, weather information, etc. for the destination of the vehicle 100, which will be described later. The vehicle battery 10 needs to be heated when starting to drive or when charging starts when the ambient temperature is low. Since heating is required for the secondary battery cells 11 near the periphery of the vehicle battery 10, which are susceptible to the effects of the outside air temperature, it is preferable to heat the cooling liquid circulated by the pump 32 with the heater 33 to make it into a heating liquid and heat the entire vehicle battery 10.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of cooling control of the battery temperature adjustment system 1 of the present disclosure. The cooling control method will be described using Figure 8.

The parameters are as follows and are obtained by measurement:
(1) The temperature of the secondary battery cell 11 near the center of the in-vehicle battery 10 is defined as A (representative temperature near the center).
(2) The temperature of the secondary battery cell 11 near the periphery of the in-vehicle battery 10 is set to B (representative temperature near the periphery).
(3) The external temperature is C. (4) The charge/discharge current is i. (5) The internal resistance of the secondary battery cell 11 is R (obtained in advance or calculated, etc.).
(6) The temperature of the cooling liquid is E (measured near the discharge pipe 31b).

The temperature conditions to be met are as follows:
The maximum allowable temperature G is equal to or higher than the secondary battery cell temperatures A and B. G≧A and G≧B
The allowable temperature variation H is equal to or greater than the temperature difference between the secondary battery cell temperatures A and B. H≧|A−B|

The concept of the cooling operation amount in cooling control will be described.
The heat generation amount Wn of each secondary battery cell n and the total heat generation amount Wall of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 can be calculated from the charge/discharge current i and the internal resistance R. Wall = W1 + W2 + ... Wn. Then, the heat radiation amount Wout from the vehicle-mounted battery 10 can be estimated from the secondary battery cell temperatures A and B and the external temperature C. Thermal resistance modeling and data acquired in advance are used. In addition, if the cooling capacity required for cooling is Wcool, Wcool>Wall-Wout, and the cooling capacity Wcool becomes the target value for cooling. In addition, since the secondary battery cell 11 and the thermal management system 20 have a large heat capacity compared to the Wall, Wcool can also use the average value of Wall over the past time (Tcool).

Estimation of Wcool: The expected value of Wcool is obtained in advance for the combination of external temperature C, coolant temperature E, and compressor 41 setting value, and this value is used. The compressor 41 setting may be adjusted to obtain the required Wcool. Furthermore, Wcool is adjusted based on the measured values of secondary battery cell temperatures A and B so that the allowable maximum temperature G ≧ secondary battery cell temperature A and the allowable maximum temperature G ≧ secondary battery cell temperature B are satisfied. This is feedback control that corrects any excess or deficiency in the Wcool estimated value.

The concept of the operation amount of the pump 32 in the cooling control will be described.
When the measured value of the secondary battery cell temperature difference (|A-B|) exceeds a certain value, the pump 32 is operated. The pump 32 may be changed in multiple stages or steplessly depending on the measured value. It is self-evident that the secondary battery cell temperature difference (|A-B|) increases as the charge/discharge current i and the Wall become larger, and therefore the pump 32 may be controlled to increase its operation amount based on the charge/discharge current i regardless of the secondary battery cell temperature difference (|A-B|). The operation amounts of the cooling unit 50 and the pump 32 are determined simultaneously or sequentially, and the cooling unit 50 and the pump 32 can be used in combination.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of heating control of the battery temperature adjustment system 1 of the present disclosure. The heating control method will be described using Figure 9.

The parameters are the same as those for cooling control, so they will be omitted. Also, explanations of the same symbols as those for cooling control will be omitted.

The temperature conditions that must be met are as follows:
The secondary battery cell temperatures A and B are equal to or lower than the maximum allowable temperature G and equal to or higher than the minimum allowable temperature L. G≧A≧L and G≧B≧L
The allowable temperature variation H is equal to or greater than the temperature difference between the secondary battery cell temperatures A and B. H≧|A−B|

The concept of the operation amount of the heater 33 in the heating control will be described.
The heat generation amount Wn of each secondary battery cell n and the total heat generation amount Wall of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 can be calculated from the charge/discharge current D and the internal resistance R. Wall = W1 + W2 + ... Wn. Then, the heat dissipation amount Wout from the vehicle-mounted battery 10 can be estimated from the secondary battery cell temperatures A and B and the external temperature C. Thermal resistance modeling and data acquired in advance are used.

If the capacity required for the heater 33 is Wheat, then Wheat > Wout-Wall, and Wheat is the target value for the heater 33. Since the secondary battery cell 11 and the thermal management system 20 have a large thermal capacity compared to Wall, Wheat can also be the average value of Wall over the past time (Tcool).

Wheat calculation: Wheat can be calculated by multiplying the power supply voltage of heater 33 by the current. The current of heater 33 is adjusted to obtain the required Wheat. Furthermore, Wheat and Wcool are adjusted based on the measured values of secondary battery cell temperatures A and B so that the following are satisfied: maximum allowable temperature G ≧ secondary battery cell temperature A ≧ minimum allowable temperature L and maximum allowable temperature G ≧ secondary battery cell temperature B ≧ minimum allowable temperature L.

The concept of the operation amount of the pump 32 in the heating control will be described.
The pump 32 is operated to diffuse the wheat into the coolant passage 30. When the measured value of the secondary battery cell temperature difference |A-B| exceeds a certain value, the pump 32 is operated. The pump 32 may be changed in multiple stages or steplessly depending on the measured value. The operating amounts of the cooling unit 50 and the pump 32 are determined simultaneously or sequentially, and the cooling unit 50 and the pump 32 can be used in combination.

Figure 10 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the cooling section 50 of the present disclosure.

In particular, when the vehicle-mounted batteries 10 are arranged in two or more rows (see FIG. 5B), the thermal management system 20 for the coolant and refrigerant becomes physically large, so that uniformity of the temperature within the thermal management system 20 becomes an issue. When the cooling unit 50 is arranged in the central region S of the vehicle-mounted battery 10 and circulation is created by one pump 32, the coolant circulated by the pump 32 will go around the periphery of the cooling unit 50 as shown in FIG. 10 (in FIG. 10, the flow of the coolant in the coolant passage 30 is shown by dashed arrows). Here, the cooling unit 50, the inlet pipe 51, and the outlet pipe 52 are approximately perpendicular to the flow of the circulating coolant, so that by extending the cooling unit 50, for example, near the inlet pipe 51, it is possible to appropriately cool the coolant on the periphery. For this reason, it is preferable that at least a part of the inlet pipe 51 connecting the cooling unit 50 and the expansion valve 43 is arranged within the coolant passage 30.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which the battery temperature control system 1 is mounted on the vehicle 100 of the present disclosure, (a) being a side view of the vehicle 100, and (b) being a rear view of the vehicle 100.

The vehicle 100 equipped with the battery temperature control system 1 includes wheels 101 that rotate along the traveling direction, a vehicle body 102, and a floor surface 103 of the vehicle body 102. The vehicle body 102 houses a heat exchanger 21 and a battery module. The wheels 101 may include a first wheel 101a and a second wheel 101b coupled to the vehicle body 102. The wheels 101 may also include a third wheel 101c coupled to the vehicle body 102, and typically the vehicle 100 has four wheels. However, the vehicle may have other wheels such as a three-wheeled vehicle. An electric motor (not shown) drives the first wheel 101a using power supplied from the battery module (group). The second wheel 101b may be a steering wheel. However, the electric motor may drive a wheel other than the first wheel 101a. The vehicle 100 can run in a predetermined direction using the first wheel 101a and the second wheel 101b.

In FIG. 11(a), the longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger 21 is arranged along the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and in FIG. 11(b), the longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger 21 is arranged along the width direction of the vehicle 100. That is, in FIG. 11(b), the short side direction of the heat exchanger 21 is arranged along the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. In this way, the heat exchanger 21 is arranged along a predetermined direction. Note that the arrangement direction of the heat exchanger 21 can be appropriately determined taking into consideration the arrangement space of the vehicle 100 and the earthquake resistance of the battery temperature control system 1, etc.

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of control of the battery temperature adjustment system 1 using the route and destination information of the vehicle 100 in Figure 11.

When the vehicle 100 is performing autonomous driving or route guidance using car navigation, it is possible to estimate changes in various parameters that will occur during future driving by using information on the cloud via communication. For example, changes in external temperature C, changes due to weather or altitude, changes in charge/discharge current i, ups and downs due to altitude, speed due to the route traveled, speed due to traffic lights, speed limits, and traffic jams, changes in travel time, etc. The external temperature C and charge/discharge current i are important parameters for controlling the battery temperature adjustment system 1, and by obtaining this information in advance, it is possible to estimate changes in the secondary battery cell temperatures A and B in advance.

The set value of the compressor 41 and the operation amount of the pump 32 can be feedforward controlled so that the allowable maximum temperature G ≥ secondary battery cell temperatures A, B, and the allowable temperature variation H ≥ secondary battery cell temperature difference (|A-B|) are sufficiently satisfied. This reduces the power consumption for cooling, and allows the capacity of the refrigerant circuit to be designed to be as small as necessary. Furthermore, estimations using route and destination information, adjustments to the set value of the compressor 41, and the operation amount of the pump 32 can be calculated on the cloud and communicated to the vehicle 100 via communication.

Figure 13 is a side view showing battery pack α installed in vehicle 100.

A battery pack α is installed under the vehicle body 102 of the vehicle 100. The battery pack α includes a housing α1, which houses at least an on-board battery 10 and a heat exchanger 21. In the illustrated example, the battery temperature control system 1 includes three battery modules (on-board batteries 10) and three heat exchangers 21 (heat exchange plates). However, a battery module group consisting of three battery modules (on-board batteries 10) may be placed on one heat exchanger 21. There is no particular limit to the number of heat exchangers 21 and on-board batteries 10 included in the battery temperature control system.

The housing α1 has a first housing surface α11 arranged along the first surface 22 of the heat exchanger 21, and a second housing surface α12 arranged along the second surface 23 of the heat exchanger 21. The battery module group (vehicle battery 10) and the heat exchanger 21 are arranged between the first housing surface α11 and the second housing surface α12.

The housing α1 has a housing end surface α13 connecting the first housing surface α11 and the second housing surface α12, and the housing end surface α13 has a refrigerant input section α51 where the refrigerant enters toward the refrigerant layer, and a refrigerant output section α52 where the refrigerant exits from the refrigerant layer. The refrigerant input section α51 and the refrigerant output section α52 may be made of pipes, and correspond to the inlet pipe 51 and the outlet pipe 52 in the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, etc., respectively. That is, at least the refrigerant input section α51 and the refrigerant output section α52 can be connected to a heat exchange cycle system including a compressor 41, a condenser 42, an expansion valve 43, etc. This heat exchange cycle system may be for vehicle interior air conditioning, and the heat exchange cycle system may not only circulate the refrigerant to the cooling section 50, but also to the vehicle interior air conditioning device (car air conditioner).

The housing end surface α13 may further include a coolant input section α31a through which the coolant flows toward the coolant layer, and a coolant output section α31b through which the coolant flows out from the coolant layer. The coolant input section α31a and the coolant output section α31b may be made of pipes, and correspond to the inlet pipe 31a and the outlet pipe 31b in the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, etc., respectively.

Here, as shown in the figure, there may be a plurality of housing end faces α13. The housing end face α13 has at least a first housing end face α131 and a second housing end face α132. The first housing end face α131 is arranged opposite to the second housing end face α132. The cooling liquid input portion α31a, the cooling liquid output portion α31b, the refrigerant input portion α51, and the refrigerant output portion α52 are arranged on the first housing end face α131. By concentrating these tubes on the first housing end face α131, the piping extending to the outside of the battery pack α can be compactly arranged and the length of the piping can be shortened. However, the cooling liquid input portion α31a, the cooling liquid output portion α31b, the refrigerant input portion α51, and the refrigerant output portion α52 may be arranged on different housing end faces (α131, α132, etc.). Which of the multiple housing end faces each pipe extends to is determined appropriately depending on the shape of the floor surface 103 of the vehicle body 102 and the shape of the free space.

As described above, the second region REG2 of the refrigerant layer includes a first refrigerant layer region corresponding to the center of the third region REG3 and a second refrigerant layer region located outside the first refrigerant layer region in a plan view, and the first cooling capacity of the first refrigerant layer region is greater than the second cooling capacity of the second refrigerant layer region. This allows the heat trapped near the center of the third region REG3 to be concentrated and removed, reducing temperature variation in the battery module group.

The heat exchange plates are also arranged in a predetermined direction. This allows the arrangement direction of the heat exchange plates to be determined taking into account the installation space of the vehicle 100 and the earthquake resistance of the battery temperature control system 1, etc.

In addition, the multiple battery modules each include multiple battery cells. This allows multiple battery cells to be managed together as a battery module.

In addition, the third region REG3 of the battery module group is smaller than the first region REG1 of the cooling liquid layer. This allows the entire battery module group to be cooled by the cooling liquid layer.

In addition, a cooling liquid layer is disposed between the refrigerant layer and the battery module group at the center O of the third region REG3 of the battery module group. This allows the cooling liquid to diffuse unevenness caused by the refrigerant when cooling, allowing the battery module group to be cooled more uniformly.

The cooling liquid layer also includes a first cooling liquid layer and a second cooling liquid layer at the center of the third region REG3 of the battery module group, the first cooling liquid layer is disposed between the cooling liquid layer and the battery module group at the center O of the third region REG3 of the battery module group, and the cooling liquid layer is disposed between the first cooling liquid layer and the second cooling liquid layer at the center O of the third region REG3 of the battery module group. This allows the cooling liquid layer to be surrounded by the first cooling liquid layer and the second cooling liquid layer, and allows smooth heat exchange between the cooling liquid layer and the cooling liquid layer.

The battery pack further comprises a housing that houses the battery module group and the heat exchange plate, the housing having a first housing surface arranged along the first surface of the heat exchange plate and a second housing surface arranged along the second surface of the heat exchange plate, the battery module group and the heat exchange plate are arranged between the first housing surface and the second housing surface, and the housing has a housing end surface connecting the first housing surface and the second housing surface,
The end surface of the housing has a refrigerant input portion through which the refrigerant flows toward the refrigerant layer, and a refrigerant output portion through which the refrigerant flows out from the refrigerant layer. This allows the battery module group and the heat exchange plate to be housed together in the housing and treated as a single battery pack. In other words, the battery temperature control system can be easily installed in a vehicle or the like.

In addition, at least the refrigerant input section and the refrigerant output section can be connected to a heat exchange cycle system. This allows the battery module group to be cooled by also using the refrigerant in a heat exchange cycle system such as a car air conditioner.

The end surface of the housing further includes a coolant input section through which the coolant flows toward the coolant layer, and a coolant output section through which the coolant flows out from the coolant layer. This allows the battery pack to be a hybrid type that uses both a refrigerant and a coolant.

The coolant input section, the coolant output section, the refrigerant input section, and the refrigerant output section are each composed of pipes. This allows the heat exchange cycle system and the like to be connected to the battery pack by the pipes.

The housing end face includes at least a first housing end face and a second housing end face, the first housing end face is disposed opposite the second housing end face, and the cooling liquid input section, the cooling liquid output section, the refrigerant input section, and the refrigerant output section are disposed on the first housing end face. This allows the piping extending outside the battery pack to be compact, and the length of the piping can be shortened.

Although the embodiments of the vehicle, heat exchange plate, and battery pack according to the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art could conceive of various modifications, alterations, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

The vehicle, heat exchange plate, and battery pack disclosed herein are useful in fields where it is desired to reduce the temperature near the center of an on-board battery more than the temperature near the periphery and maintain temperature uniformity.

1: Battery temperature control system 10: On-board battery 11: Secondary battery cell 20: Thermal management system 21: Heat exchanger 22: First surface 23: Second surface 30: Coolant passage 30a: First coolant layer 30b: Second coolant layer 31: Coolant passage piping 31a: Inlet pipe 31b: Outlet pipe 32: Pump 33: Heater 40: Refrigerant piping 41: Compressor 42: Condenser 43: Expansion valve 50: Cooling section 51: Inlet pipe 52: Outlet pipe 53: First point 54: Second point 100: Vehicle 101: Wheel 101a: First wheel 101b: Second wheel 101c: Third wheel 102: Vehicle body 103: Floor surface REG1: First region REG2: Second region REG21: First refrigerant layer region REG22: Second refrigerant layer region REG3: Third region S: Central region α: Battery pack α1: Housing α11: First housing surface α12: Second housing surface α13: Housing end surface α131: First housing end surface α132: Second housing end surface α31a: Coolant input portion α31b: Coolant output portion α51: Coolant input portion α52: Coolant output portion

Claims (20)

a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a cooling liquid layer for circulating a cooling liquid between the first surface and the second surface;
a refrigerant layer that circulates a refrigerant between the first surface and the second surface;
a coolant output section through which the coolant flows from the coolant layer;
a heat exchange plate having a coolant input portion through which the coolant from the coolant output portion flows toward the coolant layer via a pump;
a battery module group including a plurality of battery modules and arranged along the first surface of the heat exchange plate;
a vehicle body that accommodates the heat exchange plate and the battery module;
A first wheel and a second wheel coupled to the vehicle body;
an electric motor that drives the first wheel by using electric power supplied from the battery module group;
A vehicle capable of traveling in a predetermined direction using the first wheel and the second wheel,
Between the first surface and the second surface of the heat exchange plate, the entire cooling liquid layer has a first region in a plan view,
Between the first surface and the second surface of the heat exchange plate, the entire refrigerant layer has a second region in a plan view,
the first surface of the heat exchange plate includes a third region in a plan view of the entire battery module group;
a center of the third region of the battery module group is disposed so as to overlap with the first region of the coolant layer;
a center of the third region of the battery module group is disposed so as to overlap with the second region of the coolant layer;
The temperature of the secondary battery cell near the center of the battery module group is defined as temperature A,
The temperature of the secondary battery cells near the periphery of the battery module group is defined as temperature B,
When the difference between the temperature A and the temperature B exceeds a certain value, the pump is operated.
vehicle. 2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1,
The second region of the refrigerant layer includes a first refrigerant layer region corresponding to a center of the third region and a second refrigerant layer region located outside the first refrigerant layer region in a plan view,
A first cooling capacity of the first refrigerant layer region is greater than a second cooling capacity of the second refrigerant layer region.
vehicle. A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,
The heat exchange plate is arranged along the predetermined direction.
vehicle. a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a cooling liquid layer for circulating a cooling liquid between the first surface and the second surface;
a refrigerant layer that circulates a refrigerant between the first surface and the second surface;
a coolant output section through which the coolant flows from the coolant layer;
a coolant input portion through which the coolant from the coolant output portion flows toward the coolant layer via a pump;
Between the first surface and the second surface, the entire cooling liquid layer has a first region in a plan view,
Between the first surface and the second surface, the entire refrigerant layer has a second region in a plan view,
When the battery module group is arranged along the first surface, the battery module group as a whole includes a third region on the first surface in a plan view,
The battery module group includes a plurality of battery modules,
At least a portion of the second region of the refrigerant layer is disposed to overlap the first region of the cooling liquid layer;
a center of the third region of the battery module group is disposed so as to overlap with the first region of the coolant layer;
a center of the third region of the battery module group is disposed so as to overlap with the second region of the coolant layer;
The temperature of the secondary battery cell near the center of the battery module group is defined as temperature A,
The temperature of the secondary battery cells near the periphery of the battery module group is defined as temperature B,
The pump is configured to operate when the difference between the temperature A and the temperature B exceeds a certain value.
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchange plate according to claim 4,
The second region of the refrigerant layer includes a first refrigerant layer region corresponding to a center of the third region and a second refrigerant layer region located outside the first refrigerant layer region in a plan view,
A first cooling capacity of the first refrigerant layer region is greater than a second cooling capacity of the second refrigerant layer region.
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchange plate according to claim 4 or claim 5,
The battery modules each include a plurality of battery cells.
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchanger plate according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
the third area of the battery module group is smaller than the first area of the coolant layer;
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchanger plate according to any one of claims 4 to 7,
the cooling liquid layer is disposed between the refrigerant layer and the battery module group at a center of the third region of the battery module group;
Heat exchange plate. 9. A heat exchange plate according to claim 8,
the cooling liquid layer includes a first cooling liquid layer and a second cooling liquid layer at a center of the third region of the battery module group;
the first coolant layer is disposed between the refrigerant layer and the battery module group at a center of the third region of the battery module group;
the refrigerant layer is disposed between the first and second cooling liquid layers at a center of the third region of the battery module group;
Heat exchange plate. a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a cooling liquid layer for circulating a cooling liquid between the first surface and the second surface;
a refrigerant layer that circulates a refrigerant between the first surface and the second surface;
a coolant output section through which the coolant flows from the coolant layer;
a heat exchange plate having a coolant input portion through which the coolant from the coolant output portion flows toward the coolant layer via a pump;
a battery module group including a plurality of battery modules and arranged along the first surface of the heat exchange plate,
Between the first surface and the second surface of the heat exchange plate, the entire cooling liquid layer has a first region in a plan view,
Between the first surface and the second surface of the heat exchange plate, the entire refrigerant layer has a second region in a plan view,
the first surface of the heat exchange plate includes a third region in a plan view of the entire battery module group;
At least a portion of the second region of the refrigerant layer is disposed to overlap the first region of the cooling liquid layer;
a center of the third region of the battery module group is disposed so as to overlap with the first region of the coolant layer;
a center of the third region of the battery module group is disposed so as to overlap with the second region of the coolant layer;
The temperature of the secondary battery cell near the center of the battery module group is defined as temperature A,
The temperature of the secondary battery cells near the periphery of the battery module group is defined as temperature B,
The pump is configured to operate when the difference between the temperature A and the temperature B exceeds a certain value.
Battery pack. 11. The battery pack according to claim 10,
The second region of the refrigerant layer includes a first refrigerant layer region corresponding to a center of the third region and a second refrigerant layer region located outside the first refrigerant layer region in a plan view,
A first cooling capacity of the first refrigerant layer region is greater than a second cooling capacity of the second refrigerant layer region.
Battery pack. The battery pack according to claim 10 or 11,
The battery modules each include a plurality of battery cells.
Battery pack. The battery pack according to any one of claims 10 to 12,
the third area of the battery module group is smaller than the first area of the coolant layer;
Battery pack. The battery pack according to any one of claims 10 to 13,
the cooling liquid layer is disposed between the refrigerant layer and the battery module group at a center of the third region of the battery module group;
Battery pack. 15. The battery pack of claim 14,
the cooling liquid layer includes a first cooling liquid layer and a second cooling liquid layer at a center of the third region of the battery module group;
the first coolant layer is disposed between the refrigerant layer and the battery module group at a center of the third region of the battery module group;
the refrigerant layer is disposed between the first and second cooling liquid layers at a center of the third region of the battery module group;
Battery pack. The battery pack according to any one of claims 10 to 15,
a housing that houses the battery module group and the heat exchange plate,
The housing includes a first housing surface disposed along the first surface of the heat exchange plate and a second housing surface disposed along the second surface of the heat exchange plate,
the battery module group and the heat exchange plate are disposed between the first housing surface and the second housing surface;
a housing end surface connecting the first housing surface and the second housing surface,
The housing end surface includes a refrigerant input portion through which the refrigerant flows toward the refrigerant layer, and a refrigerant output portion through which the refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant layer.
Battery pack. 17. The battery pack of claim 16,
At least the refrigerant input and the refrigerant output are couplable to a heat exchange cycle system.
Battery pack. 18. The battery pack according to claim 16 or 17,
The housing end surface further includes a coolant input portion through which the coolant flows toward the coolant layer, and a coolant output portion through which the coolant flows out from the coolant layer.
Battery pack. 20. The battery pack of claim 18,
The cooling liquid input section, the cooling liquid output section, the refrigerant input section, and the refrigerant output section are each composed of a tube.
Battery pack. 20. The battery pack according to claim 18 or 19,
The housing end surface includes at least a first housing end surface and a second housing end surface,
the first housing end surface is disposed opposite the second housing end surface,
The cooling liquid input portion, the cooling liquid output portion, the refrigerant input portion, and the refrigerant output portion are disposed on an end surface of the first housing.
Battery pack.

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